Land Adjacent To Anderdons Farm, Longwick, HP27 9SY

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the local area bearing in mind the special attention that should be paid to the desirability of preserving the setting of the nearby Grade II listed buildings;
• Whether the proposal would provide a mix of housing units which can be demonstrated to reflect the needs of the village;
• The effect of the proposal on highway safety with particular regard to parking provision;
• Whether an adequate buffer zone is proposed to a watercourse having regard to the effect on biodiversity; and
• The effect of the proposal on flood risk.

What decided it

The moderate level of less-than-substantial heritage harm combined with unresolved flood risk concerns engaged NPPF footnote 7 protections, providing a strong reason for refusal that outweighed the benefits and disengaged the presumption in favour of sustainable development.

the moderate public benefits (modest housing contribution, limited-to-moderate economic benefits, and BNG) did not outweigh the considerable weight attached to heritage harm, and combined with unresolved flood risk, the presumption in favour of sustainable development was not engaged, so the balance tipped against the proposal.